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Streaming media (movies and TV shows) to your TV, tablet, and even your smartphone has been very popular. The largest sources for streaming are Netflix,Hulu, and Amazon.

What is streaming? Simply stated, Streaming is defined as a method of receiving videos (movies, TV shows, etc.) and audio directly from the Internet without having to download them into your computer, tablet, or smartphone. CLICK HEREto read my blog for additional information.

TV manufacturers today are selling “Smart TVs.” A Smart TV is a television set with Internet access. Connected to your router, it contains apps for streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and many others. Most TVs being sold now are Smart TVs.

However, those of you that have older TVs can purchase “set-top boxes” such asAppleTV,Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and Chromecast. These devices allow a digital signal to be received by your TV so it is possible to access media sources such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.

I recently purchased a new TV (Smart TV) and can now watch the streaming services directly on my new unit. However there are other older TVs in my apartment, and I am able to stream using one of the set top devices listed in the previous paragraph. I chose the Roku device, since it gave me flexibility at a good price.

CLICK HERE to read a review of the new Roku stick and a comparison of all the leading set-top devices.

When streaming from your tablet and smartphone, remember to only do so from wi-fi locations, since Internet access through wi-fi is free. Using your wireless carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc.) for Internet access can be costly (ie: Streaming 2-3 movies in the course of a month could use your entire data plan for that period).

I have dozens of home made video and audio files filed in my Dropbox app in the cloud. From my various iDevices (iPad and iPhone), I am able to view them on my large screen TV. Since I do not have Apple TV, I am using a simple lightening Digital AV Adapter from Apple for the setup. One end plugs into your iDevice, while the other attaches to an HDMI cable, and finally, into your TV (or receiver). If you do not have one of the latest iPads and iPhones, the answer is Apple’s 30-pin digital A/V adapter,

Of course, for those of you that own an Apple TV, all you need to do if connect your iPhone or iPad to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV.

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, “Intel’s plans include a server farm to record every piece of programming aired—local, national and international—and store it for at least three days in the “cloud.” With an Intel-designed set-top box, people won’t have to own DVRs or even plan to record programs.”

Shouldn’t content prividers have to pay to increase their viewership instead of penalizing consumers who run the risk of exceeding their data limits by streaming their content?

ESPN eyes subsidizing wireless plans. ESPN, the cable sports channel majority-owned by Walt Disney Co., has had discussions with at least one major U.S. carrier to subsidize wireless connectivity on behalf of its users, reports the WSJ. Under one scenario, the company would pay a carrier to guarantee that people viewing ESPN mobile content wouldn’t have that usage counted toward their monthly data caps. The talks come as Americans are watching more video delivered via mobile phone than ever before. Users in the fourth quarter were averaging five hours and 23 minutes of usage per person per month, according to Nielsen.